ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. clip — a video
  3. last — final
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. face — to confront
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stem — to come from
  10. last — to go on
  11. fall — the season
  12. clip — to cut
  13. last — finally
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. clip — for paper
  17. track — a song
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to point toward
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fall — to drop
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com